


Against the Rebellion

by midnight_756



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-08 16:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11085321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnight_756/pseuds/midnight_756
Summary: Ira's life was peaceful. Every day was the same. She hunted in the morning, then went to school, and ended the day eating dinner with her family. After a long day of only hunting, she arrives home to find her family packing only what they can carry. People are after her parents, and only her parents. Katniss and Peeta Mellark.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic. The second chapter is kind of boring, but it's to fill the age gap in between chapters 1 and 3, considering the plot of chapter 3. Just try to bear through Chapter 2!

My mind whirled as I walked home from a long day at school. We learned about the Hunger Games, and how my Mother and Father were the faces of the rebellion, that saved hundreds of children from being murdered. I always thought people looked at them with respect because they were just well liked, and I never really questioned why. Now I know the true story of Katniss and Peeta Mellark.  
I leaned on the creaky front door of my house, trying to ease the stubborn old thing open. This house used to be part of what was called " Victors Village", where the Hunger Games Victors from District 12 lived after winning.  
I had always thought District 12 was small, but now I see how truly large it is, for only having three victors. I only first saw it was big two years ago when I saw my first map of Panem.  
We sat around the table, eating squash and some meat I think was chicken. "We learned about the Hunger Games today."  
My father cleared his throat and asked, "at 13? That seems a little young."  
"Well considering some tributes were 12, I don't think so." I politely argued.  
He put down the knife he was using to cut my littlest brother's food and leaned back. "So which games?"  
"All, but mostly the 74th and 75th. How you and mom won both."  
Father sat up now. "Ira, it's time to change the subject now."  
My mother got a suddenly dazed look, the same one she does whenever the games are mentioned. "There are no winners. Only survivors."  
I felt my face growing red, and knew I had messed up. We ate in silence after that. It was a relief when I was excused for bed.  
Early the next morning, I grabbed my bow and arrows. I ran to the woods to hunt, and as always, I hardly felt the rain, even though it was pouring. Just as I was about to release an arrow towards a deer, I heard a crack behind me. I swung my arrow in the direction I heard the noise, only to find a boy about my age.  
He held up his hands. "Sorry. I'm Micah Hawthorne. And you are?"  
"Why should I tell you?" I questioned. He responded with a grin, and I understood he wouldn't be answering that. With a sigh, I said "Ira Mellark." After a pause, I finished with "nice to meet you."  
We continued hunting the whole day. I wasn't so good at making friends, but he made it easy. The walk home felt happier than most; until I slammed the front door shut.  
"Ira! Pack as much as you can carry. Only what you can carry." My father's voice bounced down the steps. I could hear the worry in it as he called to me.  
I sprinted upstairs, three steps at a time. I set my bow and arrows by the bag I was packing, and gathered my things. Breathlessly, I hoisted up my bag, arrows, and precious bow my mother gave me three years ago. I rushed into my parent's room. "What's this all about?"  
"Honey, we had someone stop by our house while you were out. A revolution is beginning and we have to get out."  
I took in my mother's response. "But we have a stable government. No more Hunger Games Capitol." I clearly wasn't comprehending this.  
She looked to my father, and he continued speaking while she left to find my brothers. "But there are still people who are loyal to the capitol from then. They've been planning a revolt for a while." He turned to continue gathering clothing, only pausing for a moment when a bomb dropped far off.  
I couldn't believe that there were people loyal to that insanity.  
In a few minutes, we were running outside. I was paranoid, and sure we wouldn't have enough food. Even if we did, I wouldn't have been able to eat as much as I wanted. I heard our neighbor whisper the words "Don't look back" to our family. I did. Just in that second, a bomb dropped. Our house was gone, with one bomb. I cleared my head. I kept running.  
A man rose a gun, and aimed it straight at my brother. Out of nowhere, my mother yanked a giant knife out of her bag, and threw it. It hit the man in the heart. She ran back to get the knife, but another man jumped out of an alley. She ditched the knife and continued running the same direction as us.  
Suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder. I drew my knife, but turned to see Micah with who I assumed was his father. They both ran with us. Men came running out towards us with guns, they began shooting. I was pulled down in that instant, into a ditch by the side of an abandoned warehouse. I pulled everyone behind me down too.  
"Katniss?" A voice murmured from the corner.  
Another voice; my mother's this time muttered "yes? Oh my gosh. Is that you Gale?" I heard a hint of happiness in her voice. There was movement, and soon they were hugging. My father pressed his lips together, almost as if he were jealous.  
My mother and Gale talked most of the time after that, and I saw my father get his annoyed look a few times too. I figured there used to be something between the three of them, they had obviously known each other.  
Everyone but my father and I had gone off to look for food. We stayed back to try to camouflage our hiding place more. I was the one to break the silence this time. "Why don't you like Gale?"  
"It's not that I don't like him."  
"Then what is it?"  
After a little pause, he wiped his hands off and sighed. "He and Katniss used to be really good friends. In between the games and victory tour, they were always together. When the capitol had me, they were always together."  
"It's not that way anymore. Wouldn't you be excited to see an old friend?"  
"Of course, but-" he cut off as we heard them coming back.  
My mother's voice rose above the rest. "We got a turkey. It'll last us a couple days, but we'll have to ration." A silent cheer rose from all of us. That night we had something close to a feast.  
Another bomb dropped. Flames bursted into the night sky. Then a few more screams came. Everyone was silent. My brother cried, but that drew people to our hiding spot. A man peeked over the rim of our ditch, and a cruel smile formed on his lips. I saw defeat in everyone else's eyes. We had no defense, so I had no choice. I held my breath, drew an arrow, and watched as it sank into his flesh.  
I waited for what felt like an eternity to release my breath. The rest of us did too.  
"Thanks, Iris." Was all that was said.  
The rest of the night we stayed there, listening to each new bomb drop. Early in the morning, I woke up. There was a new noise; like a plane. It woke everyone up, and soon we were running again. A plane was bombing us out, trying to kill three people: Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. They only wanted those three, to "punish them for what they did."  
The three of them talked about sacrificing themselves after that, so thousands more people didn't die. I could only stop them by saying I would go with them if they did.  
The next night there was a stomping noise near us. Before I had the chance to even really wake up, I grabbed an arrow and my bow. I heard a rough laugh behind me. I was just about to turn around when a calloused hand covered my mouth. I tried to scream but the hand was now over my nose and mouth. I couldn't breathe, and I was about to pass out. I kicked his knees but that just made his press his hand harder over my mouth.  
I made a movement towards an arrow, in an instant his knife was at my throat. A trickle of blood flowed down my neck and dropped on the ground by my feet. He muttered to me, "Move again and there'll be more than that." I could hear the smirk in his voice.  
Between my ankles, I lift an arrow out of the ground by the feathers of it, and flip it up to my hand before he could see what was coming. I jabbed his stomach, and then his eyes so he couldn't see in case I had missed a vital organ in his stomach.  
He staggered to the ground, still with a sick grin on his face. I wiggled the arrow out of him and wiped it on a patch of grass near me, and slid it back in my bag. My family and Micah and Gale were still asleep. And I didn't plan on them finding out what happened here.  
In the morning, we all woke up and ate a leisurely breakfast, not minding the bombs and screams outside. My father broke the silence. "Ira, what happened to your neck?"  
I cleared my throat and nervously scraped the food out of my plastic bowl. "Oh I rolled over and accidentally leaned on a twig in my sleep." I saw the amusement in his eyes as he saw right through my lie.  
As if on queue, my mother turned to us, her face pale. "Why is there a dead man laying up here?" I then realized I forgot to move the body last night. "And where's his gun?" She continued.  
I heard a quiet laugh from my father. "I found it." He looked right at me as he said this. And he was sitting by where I slept. We silently agreed to not worry anyone with this, because, in his words, "I could obviously handle himself."  
The next night, I heard whispering, only I was too tired to listen. Micah had been listening, but didn't tell me what he heard. When I learned this, I was extremely close to drawing an arrow and lodging it into his skull. Sometimes when I reflect on what they were whispering about, I regret not doing so.  
We heard them coming, and mom, dad, and Gale told Micah and I to take my brothers and run. We listened and hid behind the corner of a building about two blocks away, so we could still see them. The people with guns came towards them. Everyone but me seemed confident at this moment. I almost ran towards them. But before I found it in my heart to move, the shots were fired. One hit Gale and the other two bullets hit my mother and father. Something deep down snapped in me. I drew arrow after arrow and shot each of them dead in the heart of each man that shot my parents.  
Crying, I ran as fast as I could to my mother and father. My mother reached up to my hand. She smiled at my father, who smiled back. Then they smiled at me. And after two words, their smiles faded to blankness.  
"Kill. Them."

Epilogue  
They've all been killed. I promised my parents I would, so of course, I did.  
Their forces fell after shooting, because they thought they finally had killed Katniss and Peeta. They had accomplished their goal, but that was the time to strike. I wiped out their leaders, with the help of bombs, a little help from Micah, and well, more bombs.  
The rest of them were arrested; most of them executed.  
I don't think my father liked the fact that Micah and I had fallen in love, but let's face it-my mother and Gale totally shipped it.  
Mother and father were taken to the hospital in a few minutes after being shot. It was almost too late, but they were all saved.  
And this is why they were respected. To die for other people, now that, deserves respect.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just a filler chapter, you can totally skip it if you just want stuff connected to the plot. It kinda sucks but, hey, it’s something.

I seemed to be aimlessly walking around the woods. I drug my arrow along the ground, not even minding the trail of dust it was leaving behind me. A soft patter of rain spattered the tree leaves above me.  
Micah was late. He promised to meet me mid day, and the sun was setting now. I gave up and started walking home. Suddenly I heard my name whispered from behind me. I turned to see Micah, who looked terrified.  
"Ira. You didn't catch all the loyalists." He panted.  
I felt my eyes widen. "What? That's not possible." I refused to believe him.  
"It's true. This time they're after both our families."  
I felt my throat dry up. I began stomping quietly away. My stomp turned into a gallop, and then a sprint. I ran strait into the front door of my home to warn my parents.  
"Mom!" I repeatedly called for my mother. Finally she came up from the cellar.  
"Ira. You're 15. You know better then to yell like that." She looked extremely calm for what was happening.  
I explained what was going on, because she clearly didn't understand. Without saying a word to me, she jogged up the steps and got my brothers. Then she called for me to get my father from the Bakery.  
The rain mixed with the tears running down my face. Micah was right behind me, prepared to shoot anyone coming towards us.  
As I swung open the Bakery door, a little bell jingled over my head. In that instant, a log hit my head. I fell to the ground, and everything went black.  
I awoke to find my father leaning over me and watching my face for movement. I saw relief flood his face as my eyes opened.  
"Where's Micah?" I demanded. My father said he went running out of the building saying he was going to get help.  
I was filled with rage. "I'll kill him! He's a loyalist! I'll kill him!" I started shouting and I made a fist with both hands.  
"You mean he knocked you out?" My father looked slightly shocked, because he had grown to like Micah. He dramatically opened his mouth like there had been a scandal, and said in his best rich person voice, "Micah, who you were planning to marry?" He was making fun of me saying I would marry at age 15 when I was five. Those plans were obviously cancelled now.  
"Seriously! This isn't a joke!"  
"The way I made it, I think it is. So you promise you're telling the truth? You're saying Micah hit you and is a loyalist?"  
"Yes! That's exactly what I mean!" My voice began to get high as I shouted more.  
"Well. He's done two naughty things in one day!" I couldn't hide my laughter this time after my father's comment. He became serious now. "Anything else?"  
I then remembered to tell my father that there were people out to kill us. I swear he rolled his eyes when I explained. "You waited this long to mention that?"  
I was slightly embarrassed by this. We took off running through the now pouring rain, straight home.  
My mother and brothers were standing outside the house, letting the rain wash over them. Gale was standing beside them. He walked towards me. I pulled an arrow from behind me and pushed in into my bow. "Have you seen Micah? I can't find him anywhere." He didn't even question why my arrow was pointed at his face.  
I stiffened. "Yes, I have. And he's a loyalist who knocked me out." I saw a dagger of disbelief shoot out of Gale's eyes.  
I refused to say more. We walked along the sides of buildings, silently and stealthily. I saw a flash of dark orange. Exactly the color Micah was wearing when he knocked me out.  
In a flash, I was ready to shoot an arrow. I darted down a side alley and shot out right in front of him. "Don't. Move." I muttered in my most intimidating voice.  
Just as I was about to release the the arrow, Gale slid in between us. "What do you think you're doing?" He wasn't going away without an answer.  
"I told you. He's a loyalist. Trying to kill you." Everyone became silent.  
Micah spoke up. "Look, Ira. I'm sorry I couldn't make it today. But you shouldn't be angry when the sun goes down. Especially not mad in this way."  
My voice froze up. "The sun has gone down. And at least I don't believe in killing children."  
He waved everyone else away. They left us. "What's this all about? I've been trying to find you all day anyway."  
He placed his hand on mine. I slapped it away. "You found me earlier, and you tried to kill me."  
He began to speak, but my brother called back to us to keep moving. I shot one more intimidating glance at Micah, and as a response, he held up his hands and made a face in a playful manner. It took all the self control in me to not laugh. Normally in this situation, I would've laughed and punched him. I was just too afraid and too proud right now.  
We all stomped through the muddy paths rain had created between buildings. The entire time, I kept my hand ready to grab the knife out of my belt, in case Micah came near me. At one point he decided to split from the group to find more food. In about 30 seconds, he was back. He acted like he was never gone, and didn't even talk about getting food again.  
That was the first sign that something was wrong with him.  
The second sign came when we were sleeping. I couldn't sleep, so I just laid there with my eyes closed. I guess Micah thought I was asleep, because of what happened next. He drew two knives, and held one above me, and one above his father.  
I was scared if I moved, I would have no chance of living, so I stayed still. In the next moment, my father was wrestling the knives out of Micah's hands. Micah fought back. "Peeta, let go of me." My father didn't move to follow his commands. Micah wrenched his left hand free and sliced his arm. My dad released a bit because of the knife now digging into his arm.  
Blood speckled the cement floor of the warehouse we were hiding in. This is what unhinged Gale.  
He pulled the neck of Micah's shirt. "I would really hate to have to kill my own son, but if I have to, I promise I will."  
Micah didn't hesitate to direct a knife to his father after this statement.  
A plan flooded my mind. I rushed out of the warehouse, trusting Gale and my Father to keep a good hold on Micah until I got back. I gathered a log from a woodpile on the property of an old coal miner. Running the whole way, I made it safely back to the warehouse.  
Micah was still being held down. I held up the log like it was a baseball bat. Time to give him a taste of his own medicine I guess. With a 'thud' he was knocked out.  
Sometime while we were asleep, he escaped. In the morning, he came back, acting like nothing was wrong.  
I knew something was drastically wrong. Just as I was about to talk to him about it, he caught sight of something behind me, and passed out.  
I whipped around to see what was there. To my surprise, Micah was there. He drew a knife. I turned back to the one who fainted, but was now standing back up. He drew an even bigger knife. I felt everything from unsafe to left out, so I had no choice but to get my knife, which was the smallest.  
The Micah who drew the first knife let out a curt and sharp laugh. "You actually thought there were loyalists still? I'm afraid you rid Panem of them last time."  
"Then what are you?" I had too many questions, so this was all I could say.  
"What am I? I'm a clone that a scientist from the wilds created. The wilds aren't dead. And I am the face of their rebellion." He sounded so proud of the last sentence he announced.  
Without thinking twice, I threw my knife at him. What else could I do, let him live? The actual Micah looked terrified when we realized that's why he didn't come to hunt with me that day-the scientist was cloning him instead.  
It took a while for all of us to fully trust Micah again, but we did. There were still times we would pull a knife on him in distrust, but after all, there are much worse things that could be done.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't know what I was expecting to accomplish. I snuck past the newly installed peacekeepers, trying to stay close to walls. I was wearing a black cloak, so I was also staying in the shadows.  
About seven months ago, the president who kept Panem peaceful was assassinated. A new leadership had taken over instantly, and we had become slaves to him overnight.  
I've heard my parents talk late at night when they believed we were all asleep. I would catch bits and pieces of sentences like "like the Hunger Games time" and "like Snow." I had learned only four years ago  
That Snow was president of Panem during the Games.  
Here I was, a 17 year old girl, trying to plant recording devices in the presidential room, with the highly dangerous Dictator Neve of Panem.  
I misstepped. My leg slid into the ankle of a peacekeeper. He aimed a gun at my face. He demanded me to tell him what I was doing here. I had to think fast.  
I looked somewhere passed him. "This is the food bank, right?"  
He looked slightly confused. "Does it look like it?"  
I let a pitiful looking smile creep on my lips, and a laugh that made me sound fifty years older than I was escape. I put my hand beside him in the air like I was trying to put my hand on his shoulder, but couldn't see him. "Oh I wouldn't know. Lost my sight ten years ago. Was only 17."  
His stiff position relaxed a bit. "You only look 17 now. And you were creeping in the shadow like a criminal."  
I let another raspy laugh out. "Well thank you. I normally get called old even though I'm 27." I held my breath, hoping he didn't know I was actually 17. "And there's always shadows along walls, right? I can't walk without a wall."  
He leaned closer. "Normally I would have to kill you. This is the Dictator's Mansion. So go quickly."  
I thanked him profusely and hobbled out. I only began to run normally when I reached the edge of the woods.  
I walked into my home normally, and my family was huddled around the TV. I joined them.  
Dictator Neve was announcing something. I listened to his scratchy voice. "Now I, for one, was highly in favor of The Hunger Games. As Dictator, I have chosen to continue them now, many years later."  
My mother put her hand over her now opened mouth. A single tear ran down her face.  
My father spoke up. "Ira turns 18 in two days. She'll be safe. I can't speak for the others." I knew I was his favorite, but I would rather I die than my brothers.  
Neve continued. "But, we always need a twist. So these annual Hunger Games, will be two tributes from each district, like before. One male and one female. But, the ages will be 18 to 28."  
My father rushed out of the room. My mother pulled her knees up to her chest and began rocking back and forth. They knew the odds weren't in our favor.  
I ran right to Micah. He looked as shaken as I did.  
I was the first to speak. "We should volunteer."  
"What?" He was astounded.  
I sighed. "That's the way to stop Neve." I paused. "I didn't tell you this, but I snuck into the Mansion to kill him. I got caught. I would've died if it weren't for the kindness of a peacekeeper."  
"Ira! I told you to tell me before you did anything like that! And you could've died!"  
I felt something in the pit of my stomach, maybe I was getting sick-no, it was guilt. "I'm sorry! You wouldn't have let me go if I told you though!"  
He sighed loudly. "Just don't do it again. But yes. We are going to volunteer at the reaping.  
Reaping Day was in three days, so I wanted to do everything I loved. I couldn't tell my parents I was going to volunteer. They wouldn't let me. I spent all my time with family and really close friends. When reaping day came, I realized how much I would miss all this.  
The morning of the reaping, I awoke from a nightmare. In my dream, I was running from everyone, only to find them come out in front of me. They killed everyone I loved and forced me to watch it. But the worst part was, they let me live, so I could remember that horrible moment. It was not a good way to begin the day.  
My mother laid out a pretty blue dress for me; one she said her mother gave her, and one she wore for the reaping when she volunteered to go into the arena.  
I walked to Micah's house, desperately hoping he didn't back out of the plan. He didn't.  
We walked to the main square of district 12, all of us lined up by age. They went through a speech about how these Hunger Games are meant to wreak havoc among Panem. I was about to tune the announcer out when Dictator Neve spoke. "Hello people of Panem! I am live, here in district 12!" He sounded overly excited about this. "I have thought of a new twist, and I do promise that this will make you hate me more." We all cheered, to his displeasure. Apparently he didn't like people with attitude.  
He continued. "So, our mentors will be the parents of this years tribute."  
A hush fell over the crowd. Far off a baby cried. My mother closed her eyes and mouthed a prayer.  
The announcer was back. "This time, boys first." She drew a name. "Xavier Ware." I didn't know him.  
Micah's hand flew up. "I volunteer as tribute." Relief melted down the face of Xavier.  
He went up on stage and the announcer began again. "Ladies now." A pause, and then a name. My heart beat fast. I was going into the arena even if I wasn't chosen. All odds told me I would die.  
"Ira Mellark." A sharp breath escaped my father's mouth. My mother looked at me with wide and hurting eyes, fighting not to run to me screaming. I joined Micah on the stage. We were rushed into a train going to the Capitol, with my parents on a different train.  
We arrived at the Capitol. Just before stepping off the train, Micah turned and kissed me for the first time. "I guess this would be a bad time to mention I love you."  
A tear ran down my face. Then another. Through my quiet tears, I laughed a sad and hushed laugh. "The absolute worst possible time."  
We stepped into the daylight, ready to face a crowd. And most of all, ready to face the Dictator.


	4. Chapter 4

The rusty door slid open. My parents came running in, followed by Gale. I must've been considered lucky, having two victors as my mentors. In reality, that didn't change the fact that they were my parents and I loved them. This was a problem I couldn't run from.   
No matter how hard I tried, I would never escape this. All I could wish for was to see my home again.  
Training was early in the mornings, but I didn't care that it was an entire day, as long as I got to spend it with my parents. I planned to present archery as my skill.  
The days before the games began went too fast. Before I knew it, my insane stylists were getting me ready to show off my talent to the entire population of Panem.  
Early in the morning, my mom and dad came bursting through the door of my room. My father was immediately speaking. "There's a change."  
"Well what is it?" I sat up in my bed.  
With a huge sigh, he told me. "One of us has to go into the arena you."  
I tried not to realize what that meant. "Us?"  
"Either Katniss will go in the arena with you or I will. Your choice."   
I just then realized there would be 48 people in the arena instead of the expected 24. "So one of us will die?"  
"That's another twist. There can be two winners from two districts, four in total. This is where it gets confusing. There's basically 24 districts in this. You're 12, while Micah is 24. Whoever you choose will be 12 with you."  
"I will kill Micah?" I questioned.  
"He can live if the other districts are gone."  
With a sigh, I thought about who to choose to take into the arena with me. Finally I decided. I didn't tell anyone-not my parents, Micah, anyone. I kept it to myself.  
To present which parent each tribute was taking with them, we were told to go one by one up on stage and tell Panem, while our waiting and nervous parents were watching us from the crowded ground before the stage. It was my turn. I softly walked up on stage. I turned to the crowd, and spoke a name to the announcer.  
The announcer's bright pink hair was so distracting as she called out the name I told her. "The tribute has chosen..." there was a long pause as recognition of the name passed over her. Her voice dropped. "Peeta Mellark." With a hug from my mother and brothers, he made his way to the stage.   
The only other recognizable name to the crowd came when District 24 was called. "Gale Hawthorne." With the end of the ceremony, a few people raised their hands into the three finger salute. Then the whole crowd did. I almost choked on the air I was breathing in. This was truly amazing. For a moment, I even forgot I was going to die.  
The morning of the Games was here. In no way was I ready for it. I received a quick lesson in the room we would be sent out of. My father seemed incredibly nervous as he spoke. "The arena is a dome, surrounded by a forcefield. Don't touch it. I accidentally did once, it made my heart stop. One of my allies saved me. Look for a glare in the corner. Also, don't get too caught up in playing allies. That's how the Capitol got me. Don't step off your podium before they say go in the beginning. I'll be right beside you. Grab weapons and-" suddenly he was cut off by people telling us to get in tubes that put us in the arena.   
When we rose into the arena, a coldness swept over me. I opened my eyes. Snow was covering the ground and falling from the sky. I had a feeling there would be a few frozen bodies soon.   
A big clock over a structure in the middle counted down from 10. I looked to my left. There was my father. I looked to my right. A girl from District 11. She had a broken ankle, I could tell by the cast and walking stick. I suddenly felt heart broken for her, she wouldn't live long.  
I took a chance. "Hey you!" I whisper shouted to her. "Allies?"  
A smile appeared on her face. She nodded. I couldn't help but smile too.   
The clock ticked 1. "Let the games begin!" Everyone took off running.  
I turned to the girl from 11. "I'll get you something. Go to the woods. We'll find you."  
She started to the tree line. I ran as fast as I could. Why did it have to be snow? Snow was so hard to run in.  
I finally got there. I grabbed two bags and put all my energy into catching up with my father. "Let's go this way." I pointed the way my ally had run. My father looked slightly puzzled.  
"Why that way?"   
"I have an ally."  
He nodded. We took off running that way.   
I was worried we wouldn't find the girl, but we finally did. She was hidden well, under a leafy bush. I gave her a bag. I caught my father try to hide a smile. "What's so funny?" I asked teasingly.   
"Oh nothing. It's just that you're exactly like your mother. She chose the allies that she saw needed help and wouldn't last long on their own." He freely smiled now.  
I peeked out the where the bags were. I caught sight of a lonely bow and some arrows. Without even telling anyone, I started running at full speed to it. "Ira! Come back!" I ignored my father. As I ran by, I grabbed the treasures. I hooked the bow over my shoulder and held the arrows.  
I slid in under the bush without being detected by anyone dangerous. Everyone released their breath then.   
"So, what's your name?" I was never good at starting conversation, but this was an okay start.  
The girl spoke quietly. "Melli. You're Ira right?"  
"Yeah." There was another moment of silence before my father broke the silence.   
"I'm Peeta, Ira's dad. So where's your parent in this, Melli?"  
"I know who you are. We learned about you in school." She smiled again. "My mom came with me. She knew I wouldn't make it so she's against me."  
There was another awkward silence. "How old are you? I'm 18."  
"I'm 19." She began looking through her bag, and pulled out five packages of food. "Oh my word. There's so much food!"  
Suddenly she was alert. She dropped the packages back in the bag and closed it. I listened too. I heard crunching. I drew an arrow and was about to shoot it. I waited a moment and put the arrow back.   
A man came out from behind a tree, pointing a gun at us. We started running, only to remember Melli couldn't run. I felt dizzy. I didn't want to watch her die.   
A boy maybe Melli's age ran in front of the gun, picked her up, and started running with us, still carrying her.  
And to think I almost shot him when he picked her up.  
We kept running until we reached a section of bushes right under a huge willow tree. Night was coming soon, and the sun was beginning to set. It was a beautiful sunset, with a soft orange-yellow fading to a pastel green. It was so beautiful, I hated to think it may be the last sunset I would see.  
Another cannon sounded. My father told me that meant someone had died. After it was completely dark, a tune played and a face appeared in the sky. These were the people who died. Many people were dead, including Melli's mom. Melli didn't react. I held my breath when the screen came to District 23. I was hoping not to see it change to 24. My father glanced at me and let out a breath. The screen kept its glow. A "District 24" and a face flashed. A face appeared.   
I told him to volunteer, now he's dead.  
Oh Micah, look what I've done to you. Look, Micah, at the mess I've made.


	5. Chapter 5

I only cried one tear that night. I tried to focus on living, rather than the fact that Micah was dead. When the morning came, I had pulled myself together. All I needed to do was defy Dictator Neve, it didn't matter if I lived or not. That was my main goal; staying alive long enough to get rid of Neve, but also keeping my father alive. My mother needed him.  
The sun was shining off the snow as we watched for enemies coming for us. I hate snow. It's slippery sometimes, other times it lets you sink into it. Which is better, really?  
The boy who helped Melli was from District 4. He couldn't speak. We just called him Four. His mother had already been killed, we could tell because a woman's face appeared as District 4.   
I began talking. Then I stopped. My hand found its way to my knife. "Peeta? Ira?" It was Gale. "Are you there?"  
"Yeah. Over here in the bushes." My father threw his hand up, so it stood above the bush. Gale made his way over to us and sat down.  
With a laugh, he spoke. "Now I truly know why Katniss was so messed up after the games. I see you've made allies already." He motioned to Melli and Four. "The cripple and nonverbal." He laughed again.  
I felt the urge to hit him. "How are you laughing?!" I barely kept myself from yelling. "Your son is dead!"  
He shrugged. "Just try not to think about it and it's not so bad." I could've sworn he winked at me-but what would that mean?   
Apparently my father understood him. "Ira, Melli, Four. Don't kill this man, his name is Gale." He motioned in Gale's direction.  
I grunted quietly, but didn't make anymore comments.  
It was the middle of the night. An arrow whizzed past my head and I brushed a few pieces of frizzy stray hair out of my face as I shot up. I turned around to see where the arrow went. I found it right away. It was lodged about five inches from me. The colors of the object it landed in were green, brown and red. Red on my hand, red on the ground. The arrow hit Melli. Everything was red.  
I was in a state of dizziness as I clawed over to her. "Melli. Come on. You'll be fine. You'll live." I muttered to her. I kept telling her these words, even after a canon sounded. My father had to pull me away.  
I didn't sleep the rest of the night. When morning came, everything around where Melli died was still red. I almost started gagging as I saw her glazed eyes. Everyone agreed to find a new hiding place now.  
As we were cutting our way through the snowy brush, I saw a glare out of the corner of my eye. I threw a stick, and it was hurtled back at me. I caught it and through it in a corner that didn't have a glare. It went right through and landed on the snowy ground on the other side. But it wasn't snowy outside of the arena. "Is this a double arena or something?" I turned to my father, who was now jokingly fighting with Gale. They had become good friends by now. I asked my question louder.   
They both turned to me and Four looked confused. Gale inched over to the spot where the stick had gone through. "I do believe so."  
Four went first. He made it through safely. The rest of us went then. This arena was exactly the same it seemed; but we began to see it wasn't as the day went by. New animals started appearing, and showers of blood rain would come. We tried to go out the way we came in, but the door was now covered by forcefield like the rest.   
A fire began soon after the showing of the fallen. Sometime when we were running Four had tripped and fallen behind. We didn't even hear the canon, but as soon as the fire stopped we realized he wasn't with us. I would've run back for him if his fate wasn't fire. I couldn't handle seeing his burnt body.   
We wandered around, and stumbled upon an opening in the arena that was about forty feet off the ground. It looked like someone had thrown something in it. It was big enough to fit a person at a time through. The tip of a tree was sticking through it. I realized that tree was so big because it was the only one in the arena exposed to natural light.   
I decided in that moment I needed to climb that tree to see the whole arena, because it was the only tree in there of that size. I took off running at the thought that this may be how we figure out how to get back in the original arena.   
My father and Gale called after me, but I didn't turn back. As I started climbing the tree I finally answered them. "I'm climbing this tree. It's the tallest one by far, because it's the only one exposed to natural light up through that hole. I can see the whole arena from the top." I began climbing again.   
My father laughed quietly again. I heard him as he leaned towards Gale. "She's thinking like a District 12 victor. Haymitch lived by using the forcefield to kill the person after him, Katniss and I almost ate the nightlock, and now she's using a defect in the arena to get out of here." Gale grinned now and put his hands in his pockets.  
When I was about 25 feet off the ground, I heard a crackle in a branch. I hopped off it just in time, and it fell to the ground. I looked at the branch I was now on. It snapped then, before I had the chance to move. I felt myself falling, and landing on my head. My neck cracked so loud I'm sure all of Panem heard it. My father and Gale both came running over. "Ira. Come on, wake up." This was my father. Then a canon sounded. "No. Ira. Get up." I could hear him but I couldn't move. I just wanted to tell them I was still alive, but the canon made even me almost doubt it.   
The sadness in Gale and my father's voices made me heartbroken.   
Everything became fuzzy and my vision faded to black. Am I dead? No. Am I quitting? No. I wouldn't quit even If I were dead.  
"Should we keep moving, Peeta?"   
"No." He sighed and it sounded like he may have cried. "I'm climbing that tree."   
I heard him get up. I didn't want him to actually die. I was frantically trying to wake myself up. I dozed off before I could. I had a dream that was so real, that made me feel so empty at the moment. In my dream, my mother and brothers were sitting at the table eating. The date of the calendar on the wall said it was today. Everyone was quiet, but my mother was crying. My mind skipped ahead. The calendar said a year from now. They were all at the table again, and everything seemed back to normal, except that it was quieter, and two seats were empty. My dream stopped. I refused to let that happen. I tried even more desperately to wake up now.   
My heart jumped suddenly. I coughed. Footsteps came running over to me. No one dared to speak. My eyes flickered open. All three of us hugged. I stood up and walked to the tree. I turned to my father. "Gave up on climbing?"   
He looked shocked. "you were awake the entire time?" He almost shouted.  
"I couldn't move, no matter how hard I tried, but I promise you I tried."   
"Well all I care about is if you're alive or not." My father shook his head and sat down. I began climbing.  
Within five hours, I was higher than before. I climbed for 19 hours straight, to finally reach the top. Everything looked like snow, I realized. With a groan, I contemplated simply falling from this height and being done. But I couldn't let that happen.   
I decided to try something now. I kicked the side of the hole in the arena. Part of it fell. I kept kicking it. Who knew it could be so delicate? Then I realized the forcefield must be disabled up here because of the hole.   
I cut a long branch off the tree. I hit down more and more, until we could clearly see sky. Unlike when my mother destroyed the arena, I knew what I was doing and kept doing it.   
All the lights went out. I slid down the tree to the base. "How many tributes are left including us?"  
Gale stood up. "Five. And thanks for doing whatever you did. It'll mess up the Dictator's computers. And cameras In the arena."  
"What would that matter?" I was beginning to catch on.  
Gale leaned closer as if the cameras were still on. "It means, Micah pretended to be dead so he could get to the Dictator. He told me your plan."  
My father looked at me. "What plan?"  
With a sigh, I told him. "I was gonna volunteer even if I wasn't chosen. So I could kill Dictator Neve." My father didn't comment.  
Suddenly we heard shouting outside. "The Dictator is dead!" These were happy screams. The three of us crawled out of the arena, to find a united Panem; a Panem united against the Dictator.   
Micah found his way back to District 12, and things returned to as normal as ever, except for the fact that Micah had killed the Dictator.  
Putting me in their first Hunger Games wasn't a good choice I guess. It turns out, the arena we were in was for testing, and wasn't completed. We weren't supposed to be in there.  
It's now a year from when that all happened, and I can assure you, there are not two empty chairs at our table.


End file.
